Reluctance
by Nommy and the Four Food Groups
Summary: It's his last year at Hogwarts, a time of joy and tension - but mostly regret. Well, at least if your name is Neku Sakuraba. For it seems that this year, he's going to have to face all he ever pushed away... and quite a few surprises. Crossover.


_**AN://**_

Mmkay, everyone, new fanfic writer approaching.

Don't care about reviews. Read and try to enjoy, everyone, and take it easy~  
Also, this chapter is a little short, if only because it mainly serves to get me into the swing of things. C:

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, TWEWY, Hetalia, Death Note, Loveless, His Dark Materials, Ace Attorney, Pokemon, Lord of the Rings, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Professor Layton, Spaceballs, or Austin Powers.

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"It's, uuh... a lot bigger than I remember."

Gabriel - Neku's Dæmon - chittered from on top of his head. Typically, one could find the mouse hidden deeply in his human's hair, but on special occasions the timid little thing was known to peek out and give his thoughts on the situation.

Not that they really ever amounted to much, honestly. The only reason why he would think that the Hogwarts Express looked any bigger at all was if he hadn't taken a look at it since before he settled. Everything was much larger if you are looking at it through a mouse's eyes, after all; especially when you consider that Gabe's old favorite form happened to be a rather large, standoffish _bear._

How in the world Neku's Dæmon went from _bear _to _mouse _was anybody's best guess - except for the human who possessed the Dæmon. Not that he was all too keen on sharing.

Some things were just best left as secrets.

"Of _course_ it is. You were a bear last time you saw this place." Neku muttered back, a slightly playful tone leaking through. His stupid little Dæmon was almost a little cute when he got like this.

Not that he was really concerned with things like cuteness, but still. Shiki would have gotten a kick outta....

He felt his thoughts trail off - not even his brain wanted to complete that sentence. No, it was too soon, much too soon....

He didn't need to be thinking about her. Not now. Not when everything had been going so cheerfully. There were better things to dwell on - safer, much more pleasant things. Like how this was his final year at the crackpot school called Hogwarts, or how bright his future looked.

Not that there were many fields one could go into when one was a wizard. Most of the time if you were even slightly competent you worked for the Ministry. Or, on the other side of the coin, you went into healing - but Neku had never really been one for Transfiguration. Too complicated - there was just too many things you could end up doing wrong. Take, for instance, what had happened during his examanination in the previous year. Had to turn a pumpkin into a poodle, and while he had suceeded, they docked points because it wasn't 'big enough' or its coat was the wrong color or something.

Yeah, definitely not a school of magic that he wanted to do much meddling in. What if he got a patient and they fined him because he made their skin too patchy in some places? Or their heart was the wrong shape? What _was _a heart _supposed _to be shaped like, anyway? Would they throw a massive bitchfit at him if he didn't make it look like the kinds in the cartoons? How would they take a gander at their heart in the first place?

Questions like that kept him from even considering the occupation. Though, for his friend Joshua, it was liabilities like those that made him desire the job.

In _his _opinion, Joshua was just looking for an excuse to do some major damage to some poor soul's bodies, but it really wasn't his place to point that out to him. He might get told off in some really annoying, ridiculous speech that proclaimed Joshua's 'love of humanity' and 'desire to assist others' and how much he 'longed for the day when Muggles and Wizards joined together as one and shared secrets.'

Secrets like the nuclear bomb and chemical warfare, most likely. But Neku had never been one to speak his speculations.

"Neku,"

A rather familiar voice greeted him from behind, and Neku swiveled around quickly to meet the speaker. A wide grin instantly plastered itself on his face as he found himself recognizing that... extremely white individual. Almost unnervingly white. Neku had often found himself asking his friend what sort of condition he had that _made_ him so white, but he had always received a shrug and mutter of 'genetics' as an answer.

It had never particulary pleased Neku's curiosity, but pursuing it any further was a surefire way of making Near cross.

"Hello, Near!" He said, cheerfully as he could. Gabriel responded in his own sort of way - squeaking and climbing down onto Neku's shoulder to give their companion a better view of him. Near's own Dæmon - a rabbit by the name of Trixie - regarded them both in the same manner as her human - a cold, calculating stare that would very likely intimidate a lesser man. Though, to be honest, it was just her way of being friendly.

The two boys stared at each other for a while, neither really knowing what to say. Some called it an odd friendship - seeing as the two of them weren't exactly fond of smalltalk so it was downright impossible for them to hold a conversation for any length of time. Many wondered how they became friends in the first place, seeing as they couldn't have met through studying (they were both in seperate houses, after all).

Though they didn't like to talk about it much. If you asked either party, you were very likely to simply get a shrug and a mutter of, 'we just met somehow....' Which pleases no one, but it's not like they're obligated to satisfy anyone, anyway.

The pair stood there for a few minutes, taking each other in like they hadn't seen each other in a long time (which, while true, their time apart probably shouldn't amount to _this much _inspection). Eventually, they both felt rather awkward about the entire 'standing there, staring at each other like they were both stalkers' deal, and Near made a motion to get on the train.

That suited Neku fine, and he followed the other boy into an empty compartment in the back of the train.

The pair entered the room, one on each side. They sort of stared at each other for a while more, and after a short time even their Dæmons went at it. After a few more agonizing minutes, Neku realized that this was not how normal sessions with friends were supposed to go, and he thought it might actually be helpful if he tried that new thing Shiki had always talked about. Something about 'small talk' - or, more accurately put, stupid, aimless chatter that neither party really wanted to hear, but it could certainly clear the atmosphere.

"So... uhm, how was your summer, then?" Neku attempted, feeling rather self-concious.

"Unpleasant." Came the reply - curt, standoffish.

Neku decided that, since he was already treading dangerous waters, it would be okay to try and go a little deeper. Might be more fun, anyway.

"Oh, uhm... why?"

"Spent the summer with Mello."

Neku's face lit up with recoginzation. He knew that person! Yeah! He certainly... was an odd sort, in any case.

"Oh, I know him! That... crossdresser who talks like he's from California, right? Always hangs around with some... other boy?"

"No. The _other_ effeminate, blond boy who insists on wearing ill-fitting clothing."

Neku wasn't exactly sure if Near was attempting sarcasm or if he was being serious or _what, _so he just laughed nervously and resigned back to silence.

Maybe there was a _reason _why he never attempted to talk toNear.

They both sat in a sort of compatiable silence, looking around the compartment as if something interesting was about to pop out of an air vent. When the train started moving, they shifted slightly to the window - both pretending that they actually had someone to wave to. Neither wanted to give the other a reason to try and make a conversation about why the other didn't have anyone to say goodbye to, after all. Would break the oddly soothing silence.

Well, okay, it wasn't so much as _soothing _as it was _mind numbing, _but still. He wasn't going to try actually _talking _with the other boy again.

The minutes slowly passed into hours, and while the two of them were either too stubborn or too boring to attempt to say something pleasant, it didn't mean that their Dæmons wanted anything to do with their odd form of companionship. In fact, it had only been a few moments after the train started moving before the two of them were on the floor, chattering aimlessly. Helped make some sort of background noise in the oddly chilly compartment.

It was very likely that the trip would have lasted in this manner; two boys glaring at each other as if they were holding a staring contest with their two Dæmons playing on the floor - if it hadn't been for an intruder.

One very _annoying _intruder.

"Uuh, hullo there! Erm, I was wonderin'... can... can I sit with you guys? All the other compartments is full, and the Professor - erm, Professor Layton, I mean - says I can't sit with him. Somethin' about professors and students not being allowed in the same car...."

The boy trailed off, and started messing with his newsboy cap and petting his weasel Dæmon with a sort of concentration.

"I suppose," Near replied - dully as ever - twirling his hair with the same amount of enthusiam.

Neku couldn't help but shudder. Something told him that this wasn't the best of ide--

"Oh, great! Thanks! Uhm, I'm Luke, and this is Sophie! Pleasure to meet you!" He took off his hat with a sort of over-exaggerated gusto - as if he practiced doing it a lot. The boy made a little bow, and his Dæmon lept off of his shoulder and took the form of an elegant looking dog - probably for politeness.

Near seemed all together unimpressed with this little show, and just resumed at his 'normal' activity of staring blankly at whoever he was focusing his attention on. Who happened to be Luke - at least for now.

Neku suddenly realized that he couldn't take Near's silence any longer and gave the biggest smile he could muster to the little boy. Poor dear. Was probably _so_ confused about things.

"I'm Neku, and this is Near," He inclined his head over to his companion, who was glaring at the boy with such intensity that it honestly creeped the orange-haired boy out.

Maybe he should try being nice to thi---

"Oh, I'm honored! You both seem so nice! The last compartment I visited, there was all these... gangster looking people! Or greasers! I would only know this 'cos I've seen West Side Story and Grease a million times! There was this one guy, and he looked all angry. Like, he glared, and his Dæmon took the form of a doberman! Man, was I scared! I sorta considered calling the Professor, but instead I decided to just run away. Wasn't that smart of me? I think so. I'm a great puzzle solver, you know! Do _you _lot like puzzles? I got a good one right here! So, there's this dog, right...."

Yeah... _try _ being nice. _Try._

More like try not to kill himself.

- - - - x - - - -

Somewhere - miles away in America - a bald man and his brunette companion sat at a steel desk, discussing the destruction of the world as they knew it.

They must have found the subject terribly funny, for within a few moments, they were both laughing in two of the most poorly-constructed evil laughs the world had ever heard.

Rest while you could, citizens of earth... rest while you could.


End file.
